Man fined $525 for drink refill at SC hospital

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A man who helped himself to a refill of his 89-cent drink at a Veterans Affairs hospital found it cost a lot more than he expected when he was fined $525.

WCSC-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1r2k6V6 ) there are signs in the cafeteria telling people refills are not free. When Christopher Lewis of North Charleston, S.C., refilled his drink without paying Wednesday, a federal police officer gave him a ticket.

Lewis is a construction worker and says he never noticed the signs and has refilled his drink without paying before.

The medical center said in a statement that Lewis was ticketed for shoplifting, but that the VA doesn't determine the amount of the fine.

Lewis says he wasn't given a chance to pay for the refill and will contest the fine in federal court.